New Dracut library director has storied career

DRACUT -- Nanci Milone Hill has been hired as the new director of Parker Memorial Library, the town's Board of Library Trustees announced Monday.

Hill, who most recently worked as director of the Boxford Public Library, brings 18 years of experience to the Dracut job previously held by Randy Robertshaw, who left to take a higher-paying job in the private sector, trustees' Chairman John Dyer said.

Hill is author of Reading Women: A Book Group Guide for Women's Fiction, a 185-page book released by Libraries Unlimited in March.

In addition, she co-edits the "Perspectives" column for Public Libraries, writes a bimonthly column for Library Journal, and is a regular contributor to NoveList, a readers' advisory database utilized by public libraries. She serves on the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium's executive board.

Hill will officially begin Jan. 22 at a salary of about $63,000 a year, according to Dyer.

"I'm thrilled we were able to hire Nanci, especially after it was such a surprise to lose Randy," Dyer said. "She brings with her a vast amount of experience in library management and patron services.

"We did a lot of meeting and interviewing in November and December and when we got a chance to interview her, that was the nice part."

Hill is pleased to be joining Dracut's "wonderful staff" taking on the challenge of managing a larger library, Dyer added.

Dracut's estimated population of nearly 30,000 is about three times larger than Boxford's.

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"Nanci's just stepping into a little bigger situation than she had before. She certainly has the experience but she won't be bored," said Dyer.

Hill began her professional librarian career in 1995 at the East Gloucester Elementary School.

Her resume also states she has also worked as a young adult, adult services, head of reference, assistant director or director of libraries in Peabody, Georgetown, Wakefield, Lexington and Methuen, before becoming Boxford Library director in 2011.